Two Qualified Candidates Emerge in Cathedral City

CATHEDRAL CITY — With the Nomination Period now closed, two qualified candidates have emerged to vie in the August special election, according to City Clerk Tracey Martinez.

The qualified candidates are former City Councilmember Shelley Kaplan and Rita Lamb, a retired former school Principal of the Year in the Desert Sands Unified School District.

A Special All-Mail Ballot Election will be held in District 1 to fill the vacant seat, which was created with the death of Mayor Gregory S. Pettis. The election is set for Aug. 27.

All ballots will need to be postmarked on or before Aug. 27, 2019, and be received within three days of the election date.

The person elected in the special election will finish Pettis’ term, which will be about 15 months by the time the special election is held in August.

One of the unique twists in this special election is that the two qualified candidates live in close proximity to each other.

Mayor Mark Carnevale told Uken Report Carnevale he hopes for a peaceful campaign in which candidates share their thoughts on the issues that really matter to residents of Cathedral City rather than attacking one another.

Kaplan’s supporters have been actively campaigning for weeks. Lamb has taken a more subdued approach only recently releasing statements through a press liaison. Each of the qualified candidates has a vastly different style.

Kaplan’s team has caps. He is actively seeking endorsements and has secured the endorsement of Asssemblymember Eduardo Garcia.

Lamb is billing herself as a new voice for Cathedral City.

It will be a time when every vote really does count.

According to the demographics for District 1, at the time the city drew the new district maps, there was a total population of 10,051 with 3,276 registered voters, according to City Clerk Martinez. This information was based on the 2014 Election, which is the numbers they used. Martinez said she does believe the numbers have changed dramatically.

Incumbent members of the City Council have spoken out on whether they will endorse either of the qualified candidates. See what they have to say by clicking here.

About The Author

Cindy Uken is a respected, award-winning journalist who is persistent in getting the details of a news story so readers will be better informed about political, healthcare and veteran news. She is a veteran journalist who brings a fresh perspective to local online political news. As the CEO of Uken Report, she is driven by providing an alternative digital platform for the latest breaking online news throughout the Coachella Valley.